As required under FLPMA and current BLM policy, the Bureau recently updated its wilderness characteristics inventories for western Oregon. The impetus for this update was the need for accurate information to support the ongoing revision of the BLM's Resource Management Plans for western Oregon. In conducting these inventories, the western Oregon districts followed the guidance provided in BLM Manual 6310—Conducting Wilderness Characteristics Inventory on BLM Lands. This manual provides a process for identifying BLM lands that meet the following criteria: a) encompass at least 5,000 acres of roadless, contiguous BLM lands ; b) appear to be in a natural condition; c) provide outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation.

The BLM conducted the inventories using available information (e.g. maps, photos, records related to projects, monitoring data, etc.), and field checked the information as necessary. As inventory maintenance, the BLM used the same criteria from Section 2(c) of the Wilderness Act to determine the presence or absence of wilderness characteristics.

In conducting this inventory update, the BLM performed an initial screening to identify all areas that could potentially meet the minimum size criteria. The screening was performed using Geographic Information System (GIS) data with the following parameters: (1) Spatial identification of BLM-administered lands that potentially met size criteria, (2) Screening such areas for the absence of roads meeting the wilderness inventory road definition using the BLM's Ground Transportation Network (GTRN) database. The western Oregon districts began detailed inventories of the resulting inventory units during the summer of 2012. All districts used an interdisciplinary process.

Roseburg District Inventory

No areas were found to meet the minimum criteria for having wilderness characteristics on the Roseburg District.